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Elderly "Pickpocket Terrorist" Arrested Again
By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 21, 2008
Modified Oct 21, 2008
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By
John Del Signore
Published Oct 21, 2008
Modified Oct 21, 2008
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A 76-year-old ex-con who's been arrested some 37 times over the past three decades is behind bars again after being caught in a sting operation at the Upper West Side Fairway on Broadway. Responding to complaints about pickpockets working the aisles, undercover cops left a wallet in a shopping cart and arrested the woman after she allegedly stuffed it into her bra, sources tell the Post. The suspect, who goes by many aliases—the most current being Katherine Kelly—most recently did a year at Rikers after being caught thieving while on parole.
"She was a pickpocket terrorist and had to be caught," an NYPD source declares. The Post spoke with her occasional partner in crime, 71-year-old Richard Schiulaz, who got busted with Kelly during a 2006 C-Town job. He says, "She's like a damn gypsy. You never know where she's going next...But she's a 76-year-old woman who can hardly walk—her back hurts her so bad. How could this woman knock off 25 stores—that's impossible. What's her secret? I'd like to know."
In 2004, the Daily News covered Kelly's exploits with Schiulaz, when she was reportedly 69 and going by the name Charlotte Martinelli. The two were arrested after a failed hair salon caper on Long Island, which involved "Martinelli" entering the salon in clown makeup and asking to use the bathroom. Instead, she tried (and failed) to grab $2,000 in cash from the office while Schiulaz called 911 to report a bogus robbery across the street and divert cops. An emergency truck answering the false call struck a car at an intersection, injuring a middle-aged couple. Angelica Huston and Gary Busey can expect calls from Hollywood producers by the end of the day.
Tagged
arrested
Charlotte Martinelli
criminal
crook
elderly
granny
Katherine Kelly
lady
old
pickpocket
robber
thief
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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